


Loyalty, Betrayal, Respect

by DaisyChainz



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Developing Relationship, Gen, Mistaken Identity, Pre-Slash, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but only briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29144037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaisyChainz/pseuds/DaisyChainz
Summary: In the aftermath of a Resistance attack on Dafhmar 3, General Hux meets a stranger helping to clear out the rubble. He is bold, and oddly familiar. Yet nothing at all like anyone he knows.
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	Loyalty, Betrayal, Respect

General Hux, looking upright, proper, and as sharp as the nose of his Star Destroyer, marched off his shuttle; and was immediately at odds with the entire, chaotic post-attack destruction. 

The manufacturing facility on Dafhmar 3 was an important piece in the completion of his project. How the blasted Resistance had even known about it was a mystery; one he fully intended to solve. But not yet. It would have to wait until the smoking remains of the facility had been thoroughly investigated and cataloged, to see what could be salvaged. 

He spent several hours touring the wreckage. It wasn't a total loss. There was a good portion of the factory side still standing, with even some completed product intact. But the electronics had been, how had the tech put it? Completely fried. He sighed. The technology hadn't been unique to the facility, but it had been heavily modified for this particular project. 

It would be a while before they were up and running again. Hux needed to go back and work with his engineers to decide if they would rebuild, or scrap it for another facility that could be modified more quickly, and at a lower cost. 

He marched back out to his shuttle, his retinue of lieutenants and technicians following in a gaggle. 

Hux paused at the bottom of the ramp, his eye caught by movement. 

Just outside the facility was the village that most of the workers came from. Many had been trained on the more sophisticated equipment. Hux had hoped that the homegrown workers would prove valuable, and loyal, and he had not been disappointed. 

Unfortunately, the village had been collateral damage in the attack. 

Hux stepped back down off the ramp, waving the others onboard, and approached a group attempting to salvage what they could from a collapsed dwelling. 

The Dafhmar natives tended to be tall, reedy, but quite humanoid in appearance. The man that Hux currently approached was not small by any means, possibly taller than Hux. But he was shorter than his work-mates, and broader-chested than most of the others. He handed off the box he was holding to another, and eyed Hux suspiciously as he approached. 

"You." Said Hux. The man continued to look, but didn't respond. "Do you work in the facility?" 

There was a long pause, then he responded, gruff and short. "No." He had large features and long black hair; it curled with the sweat that was dripping from the ends. Hux couldn't help thinking that such hair would be shorn onboard the Finalizer. That was quickly followed by the thought of, what a shame that would be. 

Something about his answer struck a chord with Hux, but he was certain the man's voice didn't seem familiar. As certain as he could be from a monosyllable, at least. He turned his head slightly to watch the others working around them. They were managing to find a few items, here and there a few pieces of furniture that could be repaired. A woman hustled by, clutching something that must have had personal value. Hux looked expectantly back at the man. 

He huffed, then sighed through his nose. "I'm just helping with the clean up." He started to turn away, then turned abruptly back. "Considering this is a First Order facility, run for you by these people, your help would be much appreciated. You can't expect them to rebuild your factory if they don't have food, and a place for their families to live." 

Surprised at the boldness, and surprised at the statement, Hux raised his eyebrows. "If this facility cannot be salvaged, there will be no rebuilding." He looked around again, tipped his head thoughtfully. "However, I can leave a small group to help with immediate needs. Perhaps send down some emergency shelters and supplies while the cleanup is under way." 

The man nodded and turned away. At that moment, Hux caught sight of one of the Knights of Ren coming from one of the other structures. It was Ushar, the youngest. Hux had played against him at Dejarik many times; he was wide-eyed and painfully innocent. Hux had been told he was ruthless at tearing apart the minds of their enemies. He didn't doubt it, but he did have a difficult time imagining the earnest, polite, half-Sullustan being so savage. And General Hux had an excellent imagination. 

Ushar approached the man he had been speaking to, and they talked for a moment, heads bent together. Except for his heavy armor--he had no mask or visible weapons--Ushar stood out much less than the other man, tall and skinny as he was. 

Hux blinked. He eyed the breadth of the back and shoulders turned towards him, the deferential way Ushar responded as they spoke. Dark eyes turned back to glance his way, as realization dawned on him. With a snort, Hux turned and walked back to his shuttle. 

Once onboard, Hux made arrangements for a crew of stormtroopers to bring supplies and assistance. 

That man was no local, and the site of the cleanup was the last place Hux expected to find Snoke's apprentice. And his newly elevated Co-commander. 

*** ** 

They had only been working together a few months, but it had felt like an eternity. 'Working together' was also not a term Hux actually used to describe their interactions. Kylo Ren was either absent, or actively working against Hux. He never showed up for meetings, he argued with every decision Hux made (usually made by him because his 'Co-commander' was nowhere to be found), and he wrecked equipment like a child knocking down toy towers. 

Ren also never showed his face, not even while Hux was present at his meetings with Snoke, although he knew the Supreme Leader made him take it off after he left. The only ones on board the Finalizer that had seen his face were force users. Hux didn't know why, as the rest of the Knights went unmasked when they were off duty. 

So why he was now amongst the locals with no covering, and in civilian clothing, was a mystery to Hux. 

He debated letting it lie, as he returned to his quarters and prepared for his sleep cycle that night. He tried to put the encounter out of his mind as he ate, as he worked at his desk, as he sat on his couch petting his cat, Millicent. Best to leave it be, if he didn't want to cause even more tension between the two of them. 

But he couldn't stop thinking about it. Those terse few words they had shared, were the closest thing they had ever had to a civilized conversation. And while Ren obviously knew who he was, he suspected Ren also knew Hux had figured his identity out as well. 

He gave up. Moving Millicent from his lap (she chirped and turned her back on him haughtily), he prepared to go back out. 

It wasn't far to Ren's quarters, the two of them being the highest ranking officers on the ship. If Ren had actually been in the First Order ranks, that was. 

He pressed the button to announce his presence, then waited. He felt the familiar pressure in his head of Ren being obnoxiously invasive, quite certain Ren heard his loudly thought 'fuck off'. The door slid open to an empty room; Hux walked in. 

He stood quietly, knowing full well Ren knew he was there. He refused to call out, or search him down. He was capable of being patient, even in the face of Ren's incivility. 

Finally the face that he had seen earlier, on-planet, appeared in the bedroom door. Ren had changed back into black, but just a simple shirt and pants. No heavy robes and no boots. Still watching from the doorway, Ren growled "what do you want?" 

"Oh, didn't you pry it from my head already?" He hadn't come to argue, but Ren made it difficult. 

"I was only reaching out to see who was at the door. It's late." 

Hux motioned to the wall behind him. "There's a perfectly good screen, right there. Just for that purpose. Unless you've broken that already, as well?" 

A cloud moved over Ren's face and, for a brief moment, Hux thought he had gone too far. He would get no answers if Ren turned violent. 

Then, Ren drew a hand over his face and seemed to regain his composure. "It's late Hux, what do you want?" 

Sighing, Hux relented. "I didn't come to argue." He ignored Ren's look and continued, "I came to ask about today." 

Ren stepped out of the doorway and collapsed in one of the stiff meeting chairs he had in his sitting area. It was the original furniture for the room and didn't look like it got much use; but at least it was still undamaged. "We were both on-planet. What of it?" 

Hux marched to one of the other chairs and sat, assuming an invitation was not forthcoming. "The only time you're on-planet is for conquering. Fighting. Destroying. So you can imagine my surprise when you show up today, in a humanitarian role." 

Ren blinked at him from under his hair. He had washed it, and it looked even more lustrous than it had on Dafhmar. He vaguely wondered if Ren used black market, New Republic products for his hair. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." 

"Yesterday, if someone had informed me I would see what I saw today, I wouldn't have believed them. Today, I'm willing to be open minded." 

That caused Ren to raise his head and look at him with suspicious interest. After a long pause he said, "the Resistance was long gone by the time we got there. No fighting to be had. So I took my Knights, we told the people we were First Order, and we were there to help." 

"You Are First Order." Insisted Hux. 

"Yes. I was incognito, not lying about who I was representing." 

"But why not go as Kylo Ren? He's First Order. They would have known who you were." 

"They didn't need to know who I was. Just that I was with the First Order." 

Hux frowned. "You've never called yourself First Order before. Why this time?" 

"Are you certain you'll believe me?" 

"No. But I'm willing to try." 

Looking unconvinced, Ren bit his lip. Hux looked away. 

"Fine. It was a diplomatic mission, not just a humanitarian one." 

"Excuse me?" 

"I knew you wouldn't . . ." 

"No, no. I didn't say that. Please explain this to me. Why were you playing diplomat?" 

"Dammit Hux, I wasn't playing. I actually do know something about that." Ren sat up and pointed at Hux. He almost went cross-eyed watching his finger waggle. "I meant what I said today. I've looked into that facility. It's one of the best run that we've got, and the majority of the workers, at most levels, are locals. They believe in the First Order. They believe in what it's done for them, and they have given in return. This is not a group of people we can afford to alienate. They are loyal, and we don't have that many systems truly loyal to us. Not yet." 

Hux thought about that for a minute; then strange words slipped from his lips that floored them both: "You're right." 

Ren leaned forward. "What was that?" 

Snorting, Hux slung his arm over the back of his chair. "Don't push your luck. I went over the numbers with the techs and engineers this evening, and it's not cost effective to rebuild. Ideally, this facility should be scrapped and replaced by the manufacturing plant on Sed. It's a larger facility, and can easily be converted to do the same thing, probably more efficiently." 

Ren's fingers curled into tight fists. His cheeks started to color dangerously. "Have you heard nothing . . ." 

"But I'm not going to." Interrupted Hux. "Because it's true: we have systems that have pledged to us, but they aren't truly loyal. They're afraid of us, or hate the Republic more than us, or they just want what we can give them. Dafhmar is truly loyal, and the savings in credits and efficiency aren't worth what we would lose if we turn our backs on them." 

Ren relaxed, sitting back in his chair again. Finally he said "I could get used to that." 

"What, me rewarding loyalty?" 

"No, you telling me I'm right." 

"I wouldn't get used to it." Hux said as he stood. Then he found himself looking more closely at Ren. "I'm still surprised you called yourself First Order. You went out of your way to reach out to those people. You spoke up for them, to me. I do understand loyalty Ren; I just wasn't expecting it from you." 

That statement could have gone many ways. Ren could have been angry that Hux was questioning his loyalty, or he could have understood what he really meant: that Kylo Ren was loyal, but only to Snoke. Not the First Order. 

Ren stared back for a long moment, and Hux found himself holding his breath, waiting for his reaction. 

Kylo stood, eye to eye with him. "I am capable of loyalty." They both knew Hux wasn't questioning that. "But my loyalties have been betrayed too many times for me to give it blindly." 

Hux held his stare, the challenge there. Finally he said "loyalty given is always noted, Ren. I'm capable of loyalty, as well: it is never forgotten." He returned the challenge, "as is betrayal. I'm no stranger to that either." 

"Understood. The same can be said for respect." 

"Understood." 

They both nodded, and Hux went back to Millicent. Best to make up with her, as her thoughts on loyalty were much more liquid. 

*** **


End file.
